The family adviser; or, A plain and modern practice of physic : calculated for the use of families who have not the advantages of a physician, and accommodated to the diseases of America / by Henry Wilkins, M.D.

  • Wilkins, Henry, 1767-1847.
Date:
1804
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The family adviser; or, A plain and modern practice of physic : calculated for the use of families who have not the advantages of a physician, and accommodated to the diseases of America / by Henry Wilkins, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    too quick, it may be safely continued in.—Claret is supposed to be the best. Cure. A gentle vomit of 12 grains of ipeca- cuana in a little water may be given in the begin- ning, and may be repeated the next day. The bowels should be opened with thirty grains of rhubarb, and costiveness continually prevented by small doses of the same medicine. A blister should be applied to the side early in the disease, and when it has drawn, the water let out, and the part dressed with a colewort leaf, or a little Tur- ner's cerate ; after this another may be applied to the other side, or to the back of the neck, pro- vided no bad symptoms follow the first; if they do, blisters should be laid aside till a state of in- sensibility comes on, when they should be applied successively, as long as they are attended with advantage. If the patient's skin be dry in the beginning, let him take three or four grains of James's powder in thick syrup thrtee or four times a day, washing it down with snake-root tea ; yet not so as to sweat the patient. If the James's powder is not to be had, one-eighth of a grain of tartar emetic may be used in its stead. When the debility increases, let the patient begin and take two table-spoonfuls of thy decoction of bark No. 3. every hour or two, putting a little mint water with it, and when the patient has taken this some time, let him take the bark in substance with wine : one tea-spoonful of bark in two table spoonfuls of old claret every two or three hours : this, or No. 4. should be continued in till the pa- tient perfectly recovers. When the patient has been much harassed for want of sleep, have his feet bathed at evening in tepid water, and give him ten or fifteen drops of laudanum. This practice may be continued as long as it proves effectual in procuring sleep. In those cases that proceed from excessive evacua-